Everyone deserves happiness
by Sine amore nihil est vita
Summary: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Who would have thought that Hogwarts former bad boy would end up happily living in a small sea side cottage with his pregnant wife.


**I disclaim**

**Love song of the day: sierra's song - all american rejects**

* * *

On the top floor of a quaint little cottage, in a room facing the east, lay Astoria sound asleep. That is until the harsh rays of the morning sun filtered through her bedroom window and all she could see was an intense orange light through her closed lids.

Astoria rolled onto her left side with much difficulty, taking the cushion which she had wedged between her legs with her.

Astoria's spine felt incredibly stiff and she groaned out, weakly as every muscle in her back screamed out in pain. Blindly she reached out to feel the usually cold pillow beside her yet as she pulled her hand back she came into contact with a hard, rectangular object.

_Eh? _Peeking through her eyelashes she could see something blurry and silver.

She knew that sleep was impossible now therefore Astoria reluctantly opened her eyes and was met by the sight of a box floating just above Draco's pillow.

She heaved a heavy sigh as she tore the cushion from her legs and chucked it over her shoulder. _This hardly stopped the pain!_ However her frustration soon melted away when she propped herself up, onto her elbows and saw a note.

As Astoria read the elegant handwriting her hands flew to her chest, covering her heart which was swelling with pure love for her husband.

"**Sorry honey I will be home late tonight" **

However Astoria soon fretted her lower lip as she worried about Draco's health._ He has been working late for a while now._

With shaky fingers Astoria pried off the lid and her eyes bulged as she saw another note resting inside along with a midnight black dress nestled in green tissue.

Her fingertips swept across the luxurious lace and her vision became blurred by tears as she focused on the thin strip of parchment. **"**

"**A little gift. Don't you dare say that you are not beautiful**."

"You are too much Draco," she breathed as she pressed her palm firmly against the ache in her lower back. Clutching onto the bed post for support Astoria managed to haul herself up and lugged her extra 25 pounds of weight across the room.

Without so much as another thought she shed her nightie and stepped into the shower were the strong scent of Draco's cologne still lingered. The hot stream of water provided a blessed relief for her sore muscles and it even seemed to wash away her fatigue. Astoria found herself smiling uncontrollably as she traced out the names Scorpius and Julia onto the steamed up shower door. [She and Draco had decided that it would be better if they did not know the sex of their baby and all this did was intensify their excitement.]

Inevitably though the urge to answer natures call became too much for Astoria to ignore so she hurriedly wrapped a fluffy towel around her body and almost ran towards the toilet.

"Thank you little one for using my bladder as a squeeze toy," Astoria joked, prodding her baby bump as she left her en suite.

She eagerly preformed a drying spell before she slipped the new dress over her head and savoured in the feel of the soft, silk lining. The arms were also constructed of delicate lace which exposed her bare skin. It was well fitted across the chest but floated out to accommodate her ever expanding belly. The hem of dress just ended above her knees. Astoria could not help but twirl around in front of the mirror because for the first time during her pregnancy she actually **did** feel beautiful.

Thud, thud ,thud.

This was the only sound that she could hear as she made her way downstairs. Astoria seriously felt like a giant hippogriff, lumbering around the kitchen and even more so when her protruding belly caused her to knock a jar off the countertop. The glass shattered immediately and Astoria groaned; There was no way she could bend over and clean up the mess and she had never bothered to learn any cleansing charms. Thus she carefully side stepped the red, sticky jam and raided the pantry.

Astoria threw the back door open and with in about two steps her feet sank into the grainy sand. She slowly walked to the deck chair which she had set up the night before. It was hard to keep her balance as her weight was throwing off her posture but she was determined to get out of her house, for the first time in a fortnight.

The beach had always been a part of her life from her childhood right up until now. Astoria revelled in the freshness of the salty sea air but grumbled as she fell into her chair. _God, my ankles are throbbing like mad!_

Astoria raised her wand slightly. "Accio books." A small bundle of hard backed books came hurtling towards her and landed neatly in a pile in front of her.

The bright sapphire water lapped away at the beach, drawing the sand into the sea with it's frothy fingers; the sun casting diamonds of light upon the calm waves. It was so peaceful and secluded here. In the distant you could make out the chalk white cliffs of Dorset etched against the brilliant blue sky and dwarfing everything with their sheer height. There would be an occasion when Astoria would be disturbed by a screeching gull but those moments were few and far between.

Her mind began to wander as she made her way through her personal pile of both junk food and fruit. Astoria must admit that she had had a few preconceived ideas about Draco and guiltily she had believed them to be true. However they had all disappeared on their first date. _I was so nervous I could barely sleep the night before_. Astoria remembered how she had been so surprised when Draco had taken her by the hand and apparated to the sea-side where a picnic had been set up next to a crackling fire. It had been a pleasant surprise and a relief for Astoria because she had always hated fancy restaurants.

It was odd but after about their sixth date she found herself praying that Draco would one day marry her because she had never experienced such a burning desire to be intimate with someone but knew that sex before marriage was not her way. It had been a family tradition for centuries and one that she was extremely proud of. Once again Draco surprised her because even after two years of dating he had never once asked why they had never had sex.

_He must have known I had a reason for always stopping when things got too heated between us_," Astoria mused.

The answer came though on their wedding night and Astoria found herself blushing at the memory. That night when she was underneath her beloved Draco she confessed to him that she had been saving herself for her husband and the tenderness and love that radiated from the depths of his grey eyes made her heart stop - The bond that had been created between them that night Astoria knew would last forever.

Astoria found herself snapping back to the present by the urgent need to relieve herself.

This is how Astoria's entire day panned out. Eat, go to the toilet, read for a bit, go to the toilet, eat, go to the toilet, go to the toilet and oh yes go to the toilet.

The sun was now rapidly sinking behind the horizon and the crisp cool air began to nip away at her skin. Once she had finished reading **The tales of beedle the bard **Astoria hugged it to her chest whilst she reclined In her chair. Ambient hues of pink, yellow and fiery reds were now streaking across the sky. A natural canvas portraying the beauty of twilight.

"_Oddly enough though painters refer to twilight as l'heure bleue," _Astoria pondered, idly

The next thing she heard was a voice, saturated with panic. "Astoria! Astoria!"

She twisted around in her chair. "Draco I'm out here," she shouted back and in that moment he came running towards her, his eyes wide and alight with concern.

He grabbed her hands, studying them carefully as her book tumbled to the floor. "I saw broken glass in the kitchen and you weren't in the house and…" but Astoria silenced him with a smile.

She pointed to her stomach. "Sorry I knocked it over with this."

It took Draco a full minute to comprehend that his wife was in fact perfectly fine and unharmed and when it finally clicked he laughed shakily before he silently thanked god.

Astoria studied her husband with his matted blond hair which was in its usual perfect style, not a single strand out of place. His clean shaven face showed off his strong jaw line and he stood at six foot. His slender frame towering over her.

Draco gazed down at his wife lovingly. She was an angel sent down to him on earth. With her smooth, alabaster skin which had a healthy glow due to their child. A thick braid around her head acting like a halo and the rest of her soft, ebony hair held up in a bun. His eyes lingered on her plump, red lips for a moment. He sighed.

The way her thick eyelashes cast shadows over her defined cheekbones when she lowered her eyes and blushed. She truly was enchanting.

Draco admired Astoria in her beautiful dress. "You look stunning," he stated before he smirked. "I must say I have great taste."

Astoria found her mouth stretching into a wide smile. He had changed so much since they had been at Hogwarts together but he still retained a slightly cocky demeanour.

"Oh Draco I've missed you so much," Astoria told her husband as he placed his muscular hands on the either side of her chair, effectively trapping her against his body. Draco leaned down painfully slowly until his face was hovering just over hers - She was desperate for his welcoming kiss.

Astoria tried to reach for his mouth. "Stop teasing me," she breathed. A chuckle rumbled deep in his chest and he need no further encouragement and so claimed her lips in a passionate kiss. Unfortunately though they were interrupted when Astoria gasped and pulled away as she was kicked awfully hard.

She looked down at her stomach and then into Draco's smiling eyes. "I guess someone else has missed you too."

He ran his strong hands across her baby bump. "Has my child been good to his wonderful mum?"

"No, your baby kept me up all night with his _**or**_ her constant somersaults," Astoria replied as she covered his hands with her smaller ones.

It was only now that Draco noticed the book of fairy tales lying face down in the sand therefore he quickly swiped it up. He grinned as he opened the book to the page whose corner had been folded down.

"Oh… the fountain of fair fortune," Draco tutted. "You know my dad would disapprove of you reading this to our child."

Astoria bit her lip, trying to suppress her smile and feigned a look of innocence. "Really?"

She shrugged her shoulders as she tried to act nonchalant. "Could the reason _**possibly**_ be that in the story the witch Amata marries the muggle Sir Luckless."

Draco couldn't help but pull his wife into a heated kiss and she laughed against his lips. "God she is so head strong," he thought as they broke apart.

Draco had grown out of the ridiculous notion of blood purity a while ago. In a way he thanked the war for It had allowed him to break free from the prejudices that had been so firmly drilled into him, at an early age by Lucius.

However when Astoria's amusement disappeared and her expression sobered she laid her hand to rest on his cheek and stared straight into his eyes. "Although you have pardoned Lucius for being such a terrible parent I can do no such thing," Astoria whispered, looking down to see that their hands had intertwined and now rested upon her large mound.

"He was not their for you and I will **_never_** forgive him for hurting you," she stated bitterly, her eyes stinging with hot tears.

Draco felt his heart flutter as he looked into her eyes which radiated with love and devotion. She stole his breathe away with her words and all Draco could do was kiss her again. He would never truly become accustomed to such loyalty and how fiercely she defended him.

The couple needed some comic relief to ease the tense atmosphere and it came in the from of Astoria's old advanced potion making book.

Draco's eyes grew wide. "Have you been reading that to the baby?"

Astoria's cheeks coloured and she grinned sheepishly. "They say that the baby starts learning in the womb." She fiddled with her sleeves. "I just wanted our child to be smart. You know to have a head start."

Draco threw his head back and laughed outright.

Astoria punched his shoulder as she reddened. "Stop it."

"Oh my Astoria you are too much and too good for me," he managed to say through his mirth and all she could do was giggle.

Soon enough though Astoria could no longer feel her toes as her feet were now numb from the cold. _Guess its time to go inside_.

"Does my darling need a hand?" he asked, extending his hand but Astoria shook her head. She struggled for a good few minutes but her stomach would always weigh her back down.

"Are you going to stop being so stubborn?" Draco asked, clearly amused but at the same time secretly loving her determination.

Astoria tried to heave herself up. "No, no I can do it on my own." However after a couple of minutes she leant back In the chair completely out of breath. Draco quirked his eyebrows In an "I told you so" expression.

Suddenly Astoria began to shiver and Draco's brow wrinkled. "Come on, please darling it's getting chilly."

She nodded in defeat therefore Draco helped up his wife and guided her towards the safety of their home, all the while rubbing her back.

"Draco, stop laughing at me!" Astoria whined as she made her way up the stairs and to their bedroom. Her cheeks were flushed due to her mild exercise.

He snuck up on her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Sorry honey but you are cute as _hell_ when you waddle," he whispered into her ear and she shivered again but this time Draco wasn't worried about it. Reluctantly he moved away from her and shrugged off his cloak and yanked off his tie. Astoria found herself blushing as Draco began to unbutton his shirt but her concentration was soon channelled into trying to ease herself into bed.

She managed to lie on her side but then all of a sudden the mattress sank and Draco was looming over her, now shirtless.

He started to place a trail of wet kisses along her throat. " Draco," Astoria moaned as his lips swept across her jaw.

"I have got something to tell you," he mumbled in between his kisses and she just sighed happily as he rubbed his hand up and down her thigh.

Draco eased away from her slightly. "My mum was hoping to stay with us until the baby is born."

He tried to gauge Astoria's reaction to the news but she just smiled.

"I would love the company," she replied before kissing Draco's chest which caused him to growl playfully.

"But don't think that this little development will deter me from making love to you," he stated and all Astoria could do was giggle before he drew her into a kiss.

Suddenly the lights dimmed and the grand fire place was alight.

"Very smooth," Astoria teased.

Draco just smirked as he nibbled at her earlobe, nuzzling the sensitive hollow just beneath and she blissfully closed her eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you more," she murmured as her hands became tangled up in his golden locks.

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

The fire was slowly dieing out now and Draco just lay in his bed, pleasantly exhausted and spooned against Astoria's supple body. He watched as her chest rose and fell and revelled in the feel of her smooth skin rubbing against his chest, every time she shifted in her sleep. Draco cupped her baby bulge in his hands and for a long time he just held his wife.

"Can you keep a secret little one?" Draco asked and he smiled as the baby moved.

"I love working and providing for you and your mother," he whispered out loud. His expression turned solemn as he rubbed Astoria's stomach. "Your going to be a better kid than I ever was."

Astoria turned in her husbands arms. "You are a great person," she whispered as her eyes fluttered open and she blinked, sleepily. Draco ducked his head so that she wouldn't see the slight blush that was spreading across his cheeks and once it had faded he opened his mouth to protest.

However Astoria silenced him. "Your noble, your smart, your very protective over me and our baby and you have a kind heart," she told her husband, punctuating each characteristic with a chaste kiss.

Draco just shrugged off her compliments, feeling strangely embarrassed. "Did you wake up because you were cold?" He asked as he drew the goosedown duvet over her bare shoulders.

Astoria beamed up at him. "You just proved my point." but he said nothing.

" It's not the cold it's the back pain," she told him. Draco nodded sympathetically and automatically began to knead her back.

"Although…," Astoria started as she ran a finger down his chest. "I would prefer it if we slept naked together every night."

Draco found himself grinning as his wife flashed him a seductive smile.

His voice was low but strong. "Well whatever Mrs Malfoy wants Mrs Malfoy gets."

Draco loved it how every time he used his surname her heart would stutter and her breath would catch in her throat.

He waited patiently for a minute. "That's…that's…. good to know," Astoria stuttered lamely and he could feel the laughter bubbling up inside of him.

She looked so adorable, all shy and his smile widened with tenderness. Draco framed her face and looked straight into her molten chocolate eyes before he dusted a light kiss on her forehead.

Astoria snuggled deeper into his embrace and just mumbled something inaudible as her heavy lids began to droop.

"Honey, You should go to sleep you need the rest," Draco whispered as he clutched her hard against his chest. He buried his nose into her soft hair and savoured in her sweet scent as her shallow breaths tickled his skin.

"Who thought that I would ever be this happy?" Draco muttered to himself before he fell into a deep and happy slumber.


End file.
